Market watch: Two-family home sales

In Tompkinsville, the top price last year was $496,860, paid in March for this 2,820-square-foot home at 46 Avon Pl.NORTH SHORE

If the purchase or sale of a two-family home is on your radar screen this year, what do you know about the market on the North Shore?

Consider this: Selling prices last year hit $550,000 and higher in five neighborhoods: Mariners Harbor, New Brighton, Port Richmond, West Brighton, and Westerleigh, according to public records of the New York City Department of Finance.

No sale came close to the $900,000-plus that buyers paid for two-family homes on the South Shore, where the top price was $1.4 million for a property in Rossville, followed by $1.16 million for a house in Tottenville. The highest North Shore price was $820,000 for a home on Van Pelt Avenue in Mariners Harbor. And there is good news for bargain hunters: Properties sold for under $350,000 in four neighborhoods.

MOST SALES ACTIVITY

West Brighton had the North Shore’s largest number of two-family-home sales last year, followed by New Brighton. In both neighborhoods, many houses were built in the 1930s and earlier.

West Brighton properties were definitely pricier. The top sale was $760,339 for 177 Myrtle Ave. in February 2009, followed by $582,000 for 451 Kissel Ave. in October. Both buildings, with 1,392 square feet, date back to 1920. Other sales at the top end included: 148 Dubois Ave., constructed in 2008 with 4,092 square feet, for $560,037 in February 2009; $492,500 for 1096 Castleton Ave. (built in 1920 with 3,564 square feet); $470,000 for 41 Elm St. (also constructed in 1920, with 3,287 square feet); and $465,000 for 351 North Burgher Ave., built in 1930 with 3,300 square feet.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, buyers found two-family homes at lower prices, including: 401 Bard Ave., built in 1910 with 3,230 square feet, for $387,855 in January 2009, and 857 Post Ave. — of late 19th century vintage, with 1,824 square feet — for $380,500 in March. The 2,139-square-foot building at 304 Broadway, dating back to 1930, was purchased for $314,497 in January 2009.

In New Brighton, city records showed only one sale for over a half-million-dollars: 18 Butler Terr. (constructed in 1901 with 2,112 square feet) for $550,000 in September.

Other higher-end prices included $478,000 in June for 289 Lafayette Ave. (constructed in 2007; 2,376 square feet), and $456,000 in August for 66 Daniel Low Terr., built in 1955 with 1,281 square feet.

The 1915-vintage home at 212 Westervelt Ave. (2,116 square feet) sold for $444,976 in January 2009, and 186 Hamilton Ave. (built in 1925 with 1,920 square feet) was purchased for $443,500 in August.

Two-family houses were more expensive in Westerleigh, where six properties went to closing for over $600,000.

At the upper end was $778,500 in May for 539 College Ave., a 4,091-square-foot home built in 2008. Next was $770,000 for 424 Stewart Ave., larger at 4,300 square feet, and constructed in 1999. The two-family at 304 Caswell Ave., just over the town line in Graniteville, closed at $650,000 in January 2009; it was built in 1970, with 2,612 square feet. Sales of older homes included: 652 Jewett Ave., dating back to 1915 and 1,656 square feet ($500,000 in August); 63 Reigelman St., of 1930 vintage and 2,592 square feet ($452,000 in October); and 680 College Ave., built in 1954 with 1,960 square feet (($489,000 in August).

The most expensive two-family in Meiers Corners was 90 Mann Ave., constructed in 2009 with 3,080 square feet of living space. It was purchased in April for $702,592. The two-family at 88 Mann Ave., the same size, sold for $698,646 in August.

Three homes went to closing for $630,000, all of them built between 1965 and 1975: 349 Buchanan Ave., Meiers Corners (2,414 square feet); 887 Willowbrook Road (2,668 square feet) in Willowbrook; and 79 Roanoke St. (2,160 square feet), just over the town line in Sea View.

Another two homes sold for $575,000: 650 Collfield Ave., Willowbrook (built in 1970 with 2,372 square feet) in August, and 456 Buchanan Ave., Meiers Corners (constructed in 1965 with 2,043 square feet), in September. The two-family at 727 Collfield Ave., Willowbrook, was purchased for $580,000 in June; it was built in 1988 with 4,830 square feet.

Tompkinsville, selling prices stayed below $500,000 last year. The top price was $496,860, paid in March for the 2,820-square-foot home at 46 Avon Pl., built in 2006. The house at 42 Avon Pl., of the same size, sold for $486,720 in April. One Rosewood Pl., dating back to 1915, with 2,120 square feet, was purchased for $475,000 in March 2009. The home at 20 Fiedler Ave. went to closing for $485,000 in October; it was constructed in 1920, with 2,592 square feet.

Properties purchased for under $400,000 included: 14 Edgar Terr. ($381,268 in June; 1,714 square feet); 370 Victory Blvd. ($365,000 in July), built in 1915 with 2,164 square feet; and 114 Victory Blvd. ($310,000 in September), constructed in 1931, with 3,600 square feet. A two-family at 73 Van Duzer St., built in 1955 with 3,997 square feet, sold for $288,990.

PORT RICHMOND

Only four two-family homes in Port Richmond sold for over $440,000 last year. The top price was $613,126, paid in July for 26 Innis St., a 3,400-square-foot home built in 2006. Next, the house at 434 Heberton Ave., constructed in 1910 with 2,272 square feet, sold for $478,393. A two-family at 88 Maple Ave. — with 1,840 square feet and dating back to 1920 — sold for $445,000 in January 2009. A newer home at 277 Nicholas Ave., built in 2003 with 1,950 square feet, was purchased for $441,421 in July.

Some homes went to closing for under $350,000: 88 Jewett Ave., dating back to 1920 with 2,238 square feet, for $294,060 in August. A 2,920-square-foot building constructed in 1905 at 101 Anderson Ave., sold for $290,000 in May. The two-family at 137 Palmer Ave. (2,027 square feet; built in 1920) brought $305,000 in March 2009.

MARINERS HARBOR

Only a few two-family properties in Mariners Harbor sold for over $450,000, including: 365 Van Pelt Ave., constructed in 2007 with 1,797 square feet, for $820,000; and 30 Mersereau Ave. for $460,000, built in 2008 with 3,950 square feet.

Plenty of older homes were purchased last year, some of them dating back to the early 20th century: 19 Simonson Ave., for $240,00, built in 1899; 76 Houseman Ave. for $379,000, constructed in 1901; 109 Harbor Rd., for $353,688, built in 1910; 332 Simonson Ave. for $345,000, erected in 1915; and 37 Maple Pkwy. for $400,000, constructed in 1920.

City records listed three sales in the Port Ivory and Arlington sections of Mariners Harbor: $483,263 for 136 South Ave. (built in 2005 with 2,138 square feet); $290,428 for 153 Holland Ave. (constructed in 1986 with 1,744 square feet); and $290,000 for 3378 Richmond Terr., dating back to 1901 with 1,540 square feet.

ELSEWHERE

Sales activity in Silver Lake was negligible last year. The few transactions included $442,000 for 27 Dana St. (built in 1930 with 1,408 square feet), and $390,000 for 11 Havenwood Rd., dating back to 1901 with 2,200 square feet. In Castleton Corners, two properties sold for over a half-million dollars: 236 Wescott Blvd. (1,890 square feet; built in 1945) for $550,000, and 93 Gansevoort Blvd. (2,440 square feet and constructed in 1930) for $525,100. Five other homes sold at prices that ranged from $410,000 (18 Miller St., with 1,600 square feet) to $444,000 (105 Sturges St., with 3,286 square feet).